GHNS Illinois Budget (2/29/08)

Friday

Feb 29, 2008 at 12:01 AMFeb 29, 2008 at 2:15 PM

GHNS Illinois Budget (2/29/08)

Here are the top Illinois stories coming today from GateHouse News Service. Stories are available at www.gatehousenewsservice.com. Please check www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/news in the evening for changes to story lineup, including breaking news.

If your paper has a story, digest item, opinion piece or standalone photo to share, please e-mail it to Illinois@gatehousemedia.com.

COLE HALL DEBATE: Northern Illinois University trustees said last week it was too early to consider the future of Cole Hall, where a gunman killed five students before killing himself. But NIU President John Peters was in the meantime cultivating an urgent plan. He made a surprise announcement on Wednesday, saying Cole Hall must be demolished immediately. The decision is drawing criticism from everyone from state legislators to average citizens. By Aaron Chambers of the Rockford Register Star.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/x774171158

WITH:
EDITORIALS: Think twice before razing NIU hall

Tearing down Cole Hall won’t erase what happened at Northern Illinois. Editorials from the Peoria Journal Star and the Rockford Register Star.

CHUCK SWEENY: Honor students with memorial, not hall http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/opinions/x1300271591

ANDREA BLOOM: $40 million could buy a lot of education
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/opinions/x1529764420

READERS SPEAK: Since the announcement of the state’s plans to knock down Cole Hall and build anew, letters have poured into the Rockford Register Star – and have been overwhelmingly against the idea. Excerpts of some of the letters. Will be posted this afternoon.

LEAP BABIES: PEORIA – As of Friday afternoon, St. Francis hospital in Peoria has had 12 leap babies – including a set of triplets. Will be posted this evening. By Scott Hilyard of the Peoria Journal Star.

SMOKING BAN: A lawmaker expects to seek committee approval next week for his plan that would let businesses buy "licenses" to permit on-premises, indoor smoking. The idea is similar to liquor licenses, he says. He's not sure if the idea will pass, but he and other lawmakers say the legislature is unlikely to OK any other possible full-scale exemptions to the Smoke-Free Illinois act this year because it's still too new. By Adriana Colindres of the Statehouse bureau.

ALSO FROM THE STATEHOUSE: Statehouse Insider column. By Finke.
State Capitol Notebook column. State Capitol Bureau.

BROKE ETHANOL PLANT: CANTON - A Florida biofuels company now has until April 3 to negotiate the purchased of an ethanol plant near Canon that has yet to produce fuel despite approximately $130 million built on construction. A bankruptcy judge approved the process of selling Central Illinois Energy to the group of banks that financed its unfinished ethanol plant, turning down a request from NexGen Biofuels, based in Wesley Chapel, Fla. From the Peoria Journal Star.

ROCHESTER FIRE CONTROVERSY: ROCHESTER - Officials of the Rochester Fire Protection District say they're taking steps they perhaps should have taken earlier to prevent and respond to sexual harassment. But they also say the department's volunteer firefighters have never shirked their jobs throughout the eight-month sexual harassment controversy. By Debra Landis of the State Journal-Register.

SCHOOL FIGHTS: ROCKFORD – After a series of fights at West Middle School, including one that injured a police officer, the district superintendent addressed the problems Friday. By Corina Curry of the Rockford Register Star.

People can say what they want about Ralph Nader, but the continued debate over 2000 election results in Florida is useless.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/opinions/x774170735

EDITORIAL: Fairgrounds crisis didn’t have to occur
According to Department of Agriculture Director Charles Hartke, asking for upgrades to an aging electric system at the Illinois State Fairgrounds just didn’t make sense. But failing to fix the system sooner has led to a $3 million bill for the state. An editorial from the State Journal-Register.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/x774171206

BENJAMIN WACHS: Violence poses uncomfortable choices
Public space is no longer “safe” space, and from big cities to rural towns coast to coast, elected officials are asking the same question: What do we do now?
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/x2052203275

ILLINI: Illinois basketball coverage for Saturday:
Iowa City -- Freshman Bill Cole began the season in the rotation, then found himself on the bench after a leg injury effectively ended his season. Serves as Illinois-Iowa preview. With preview capsule. By John Supinie. Moving this evening.

For Sunday:
Iowa City -- Illinois vs. Iowa. Tipoff at 5 p.m. Game story with quotes and report card moving by 9 p.m. By John Supinie.

QUICK SHOTS: Bears QBs, Tiger Woods, the sad state of Illinois basketball and IHSA divisions. By Matt Trowbridge of the Rockford Register Star.

FOR THE WEEKEND:

WE ASK, LINCOLN ANSWERS: A Q&A with Honest Abe

In preparation for celebration of the famed Lincoln-Douglas debates, the Freeport Journal-Standard sits down with the Railsplitter for a Q&A. (Okay, it’s actually Freeport resident George Buss, who will be playing Lincoln at all of the debate celebrations this year. But it’s as close as anyone’s going to get.) By Ryan Blackburn of the Freeport Journal-Standard.

DRAWING FROM THE PAST: Man honors late wife with drawings of houses

Kevin Kupper founded his business, Architectural Images, thanks to encouragement from his wife, Holly, nearly two decades ago. More than three years after her death, Kupper carries on with pen-and-ink drawings in his wife's memory. By Ryan Ori of the Peoria Journal Star. Will be posted Friday for use in weekend editions.

REACHING OUT: South Side Mission program focuses on elderly poor

Peoria's South Side Mission is trying to help out a group that is often overlooked -- the elderly poor. By Clare Howard of the Peoria Journal Star. Will be posted Friday for use in weekend editions.

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